No longer young No longer weak!
by gemgembo
Summary: Sakura has changed from when they had last seen her with him...how will he react?. S X ? rating might change
1. Prologue

**Hi Gem here I know my last go at this story wasn't very good and I'm reposting this since I noticed some spelling mistakes…sorry I haven't updated in awhile I have been busy with work, college and major family problems (Injuries and etc…) and have finally had chance to write up some more chapters...so enjoy :D Here's the short prologue! Plus I don't own any of the Naruto characters! I will post the rest of the story tomorrow since my brother wants the pc….There will be a extra chapter as well soo….enjoy and I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas!!!**

The sun was shining over the tops of the trees surrounding the village hidden in the leaves, Konoha. Sasuke had already left Konoha in quest to find more power and to avenge his family, many in the village labeled him a traitor but only his closest friends still kept hope for him.

Naruto had been away for four years with Jiraiya training and doing retrieval missions to bring back Sasuke. He hardly has had contact with any of his friends in sake of secrecy of their whereabouts.

While Sasuke was in Sound and Naruto was off somewhere. Sakura had requested to become the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Now Naruto is returning from a mission to bring back Sasuke and training with his sensei. Sakura is already the best medic-nin, she surpassed Tsunade two months ago and she surpassed Shizune two years ago. Although no one really knows this because she uses her vast medic skills around the hospital. Everyone in Konoha and the other allied nations knows of her medic skills and appraises her for the time to come and heal their wounded.


	2. Chapter 1

Here you go…managed to be able to have just enough time on to upload this chapter…although nothing's changed on it except for spelling corrections :)…yet again I don't own any of the Naruto character's!

After completing her training with Tsunade she went home to freshen up and back to the main gates to welcome back Naruto. Sakura was patiently waiting for her friend and teammate to return from the four-year absence. Over the past four years Sakura, now at 16 has grown not only mentally but also physically strong, even though she has inherited Tsunades inhuman strength, she can still demolish trees without chakra. Sakura has also filled out in all the right places and much to Ino's displeasure has grown into her wide forehead. Her outfit is also something that has changed as well. She now wears a fishnet top underneath a black sleeveless top with a hood attached to it. On the sleeves on the fishnet top go down past her wrists which then are looped at he end onto her middle finger on each hand. She wears black cycling shorts underneath a long black skirt which stops at mid-calf, the split down each side of the skirt goes up to her hips for easy mobility.

White bandages are wrapped around both of her thighs; she straps her Kunai pouch on her right thigh while her shuriken pouch is strapped to her left thigh. Her medic pouch is attached to her headband that is tied around her waist. She also has on regular styled open toed ninja boots. Her hair was a lot longer and was safely tied up and tucked under her hood so you could only see her face. Throughout her time she was not only working at the hospital but also going on solo missions, sometimes with her Anbu team, when she was not doing her hospital duty, she was a successful Anbu captain B. While not working on missions and in the hospital, she would always hear the injured Anbu, who are recovering, talk about how the Midnight Blossom has had another successful mission, and how they would like to be on her team. The name Midnight Blossom refers to Sakura as the Anbu captain, no one knows that she is in Anbu except for Tsunade and the Anbu captain A, who helps assign her a team and missions. Sakura also had a lot of fan boys but she turned down all their requests for dates and proposals. Many people think she still in love with Sasuke. Oh but how wrong they are. She had gotten over him a couple of weeks after he left her on a stone cold bench in the middle of the night.

She hasn't thought of him or love since.

As Sakura was waiting she was talking to Inner Sakura about how she thinks Naruto has changed.

_Do you think he has gotten stronger?_

_HELL YEAH, Would he be returning now if he wasn't!!!_

_Hmmm...I guess your right, I can't wait till he gets back here, and I haven't seen him in three years_

_I bet you 50 that he is till an idiot!_

_Whatever_

Sakura reached up under the hood and tucked a piece of hair back into place where it can't be seen, she was about to return to the conversation with Inner Sakura when she sensed a familiar chakra approaching. She quickly checked to see that she still had her chakra masked to the amount she had when she was younger for people not to feel threatened by her true power, she then looked out of the gates and saw two figures heading towards her in the trees.

(One of the figures POV)

I was heading back to Konoha after my four years of training finally. I couldn't wait to see my friends again, to see how much they have changed. I looked around to see the forest hasn't changed much, but it was also not like the forest's he had traveled through throughout the four years. Being in this forest so close to his village, his friends and his home, made him feel happier knowing that they will be reunited soon.

(Normal POV)

Naruto and his sensei could see the Konoha village gates come into view from their positions jumping in the trees. They jumped down from the treetops and headed the rest of the way on foot, they looked at the gates and saw a dark figure standing at the side of the entrance.

As they got closer the figure stood up straight and turned towards them, they weren't close enough to tell who they were but by the stance of the person they were female, who had toned muscles which could be seen though the skin like top she was wearing. It didn't help either to identify the mystery figure that she was wearing a hood that covers her hair, so they couldn't tell from that point either.

They reached the gates and the figure approached them. Naruto was about to ask her who she was, until she opened her eyes and two forest green eyes gazed back at him. He gasped, then a fox like grin spread across his face.

"SAKURA-CHAN" shouted Naruto tackling Sakura in a bone-crushing hug.

"Urgh...N...Na...Naruto...I...I need to ...Urgh breathe" replied Sakura

"Oops" Naruto rubbed the back of head while he replied "Sorry Sakura-Chan"

Sakura stood back up and dusted the dirt off her skirt and then brought Naruto in her own bone-crushing hug, and then she let him go and hit him over the head.

"OWWWW...Sakura-Chan, why did you do that for?"

"It was for being away for so long and no letter, I missed you, you baka!"

"Sakura-Chan sorry, but I couldn't send letters, since we wanted to keep hidden"

"I know that...never mind, do you want to get some ramen?"

"RAMEN, RAMEN, RAMEN!!!!" Naruto shouted dragging Sakura off by the hand to Ichiraku's. Jiraiya stood there watching the two friends and ex-teammates talk until Naruto dragged Sakura off shouting ramen loudly.

"I guess I better go and see Tsunade so I can go and do research for my next book"

At Ichiraku's

Naruto was already on his tenth bowl where as Sakura was still on her first.

"So what's been happening to my future village since I've been away?"

"Well Ino and Shikamaru are going out..."

"Ha that lazy-bum and Ino?" chuckled Naruto

"Not only them, but Tenten and Neji are going out as well"

"Well that was bound to happen, what's happening with Kakashi-sensei?"

"Don't know I haven't seen him in along time, probably been on a long term missions"

Later that day Naruto and Sakura went to Tsunades office, Sakura raised her fist to knock on the door with two quiet knocks. They could hear Tsunade reply to the knock.

"Enter!!"

They stepped through the door and stood in front of Tsunade.

"Ah...Naruto, welcome back. Jiraiya has already reported in this morning and told me of your achievements"

"Hai Tsunade-baa-Chan"

"NA-RU-TO!!" replied Tsunade gritting her teeth, Sakura quickly hit Naruto over the head.

"Naruto" Sakura hissed.

"OWWW...Sakura-Chan" complained Naruto.

"Quiet now" said Tsunade.

"Hai" came the answer.

"Right now, we all know that you have improved, so to test your strength I am setting a spar for you both to test your abilities"

"Both Tsunade-Sama?" replied a confused Sakura

"Hai both, you both have improved and I want to see how much, your opponent should be here now..." Tsunade was cut off by a knock on the door

"Enter, your opponent is..."

The door opened and a gloved hand gripped the door, it was...

**Please review and tell me what you think!!!….**


	3. Chapter 2

**How was the first chapter eh? Well here's another one for you to enjoy R&R :D**

The door opened and Kakashi entered the Hokage's office. Sakura and Naruto gasped.

"Yo" Kakashi said while raising his hand in greeting

"Welcome home Naruto" Naruto grinned in return and rubbed the back of his head, Kakashi then turned to Sakura

"Long time no see Sakura-Chan"

"You too Kakashi-sensei"

"Right lets get started," ordered Tsunade "Naruto you have left the village and have been training for the past four years, I assume you have improved. You Sakura, also have not been wasting your time under my tutelage"

"Hai Tsunade-sensei"

"Right Kakashi when do you want to start? Since I think Naruto will want a rest after his long trip home"

"I'm not tired at all" he responded

"Ok then, I'll meet you at training ground three in two hours" Kakashi said before leaving in a puff of smoke.

"But...But...I'm not tired" protested Naruto

"Shhh" hissed Sakura "it will give us some time to prepare"

_(Four hours later)_

They were stood at training ground three read to prove that they have grown up and are stronger. However

Kakashi was late.

"Ergh...HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?" shouted Naruto annoyed.

"Be quiet Naruto," said Sakura hitting him on the head.

"OWWW, Sakura-Chan" complained Naruto "What did you do that for?"

"Just wait, he should be here soon it's already been two hours" replied Sakura

POOF

"Yo" answered the said copy Nin.

"You're LATE" Shouted Naruto.

_'HE IS ALWAYS THE SAME ISN'T HE?'_ said Inner Sakura

'Unfortunately I am going to have to agree with you' thought Sakura

_'Thank-you...HEY WAIT, UNFORTUNATLY? WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?'_

'Nothing much'

_'NOTHING MUCH!!! NOW WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?'_

"…"

_'WELL'_

"…"

_'HELLO?'_

'...Shut up'

_'HMPH'_

"…"

"…"

'...Finally'

'_HA HA GOT YOU TO TALK'_

'Whatever'

Sakura was broke out of her inner conversation by Naruto yelling at Kakashi about him being called too loud.

"NO I AM NOT LOUD" Naruto shouted, "HEY SAKURA-CHAN AM I LOUD?"

"Yes"

"AWWW Sakura-Chan" whined Naruto "Why do you have to..."

"Right enough, I'm here to test you on if you have improved or not" said Kakashi cutting in "You both know the rules"

"Hai" they replied

"Begin!" with that Kakashi disappeared in a poof of smoke.

'Hmm left...no, right...no, above...no, behind...no, that just leaves one more place' thought Sakura.

Sakura took out some gloves from her pouch and put them on, she clenched her hand into fist and focused chakra into her hand and punched the ground. From where Sakura stood the ground split and mounds of earth came up out of the ground that revealed a fazed Kakashi. Naruto fell over in shock from the sheer force of the damage Sakura had caused with just one mere punch.

'Huh...better stop being stupid around Sakura-Chan, if I don't…I will get killed' thought Naruto.

"Kaka-sensei" said Sakura cheekily

"Hm?" replied Kakashi 'What's she up to?' he thought.

"I found you," she answered back with a smirk plastered on her face.

'Cheeky brat…Well I guess Tsunade was right in saying that she hasn't been wasting her time under her study' he thought sweat dropping.

Naruto looked at the woman before him comparing her to when she was younger, realizing that she was long gone in this powerful woman he was gazing at.

Sakura then watch Kakashi's movements carefully to find out what he was going to do next, he hoped out of the crumbled earth and stared in to the two forest green eye that were calculating him, he then raised one hand and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Kuso" Sakura cursed for Kakashi getting away "now we will have to find him again"

The battle continued until well into the night when Naruto and Sakura tricked Kakashi with an Icha Icha Paradise book.

A week had passed since their test of strength and Sakura still had only used a quarter of her power. Team Kakashi were now training at their old grounds, it was Sakura and Naruto against Kakashi again. While they were training a single messenger hawk flew in over the North gate heading towards the Hokage tower.

**Please review and tell my what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter for you please R&R

The hawk soared through the air, coming finally to the Hokage Tower after it's long journey. It landed at the top of the tower where the messengers work. The two messengers on duty looked up to see it land.

"Hey look!" said one of the men nudging the other man in that room.

"Yeah, it's from Sand as well and look it's their fastest flyer, quick get it down to the Hokage now!"

In the Hokage's Office

Tsunade was signing papers when she heard a knock on the door, she dropped the pen and gave a sigh of relief, welcoming this break from the paperwork piled up on her desk that Shizune is always bugging her about.

"Enter"

The door opened and one of the messengers from the top of the tower entered the threshold of the office and dropped a scroll with a kage seal on it.

"What is this?"

"A message from Sand, it came by one of their fastest flyers"

"Alright, dismissed"

The messenger then bowed and went out the door back to his job.

'Hmm, I wonder what the Kazekage wants?' she thought and then she made hand seals, broke the seal on the scroll and started reading.

Tsunade

_I am in need of your assistance._

_An illness has broken out in the city and the medic-nins have tried all they can but cannot seem to come to any conclusion for its cure. They have found the cause of the out break which is from certain insects carrying a deadly poison, several people have already died from it and now my brother suffers from it._

_Please send your best_

_Gaara _

_Kazekage_

'My best huh? Well that's an easy choice' she thought after reading the scroll.

"Shizune bring me Sakura, and get me some sake!!"

With Team Kakashi

(Sakura's POV)

We had just finished sparring and were resting against a tree, I had my head on Kakashi's lap, who was propped up against the tree trunk reading Icha Icha Paradise 'Urgh, whenever I get my hands on those books of his they're as good as gone', I then turned to watch Naruto who was laid to the right of me, with his hands behind his head looking up into the sky.

"Hey Sakura-chan, do you want to go and get some ramen with me?"

"As in a date?"

"Yeah" I clench my fist together hard and my knuckles cracked to make sure Naruto heard.

"Ok, ok, it's not a date! We can go just as friends!" he quickly replied.

(Normal POV)

"Well if it's like that then of course. Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to come?"

"Do you think I would pass up the chance to eat with my favorite pink haired kunoichi?"

"I'm your only pink haired kunoichi" she retorted

"All the more reason for you to be my favorite then" he said smiling.

"Sakura-chan!" shouted a new voice.

"Huh?" Sakura turned to see Shizune running towards her with her pig TonTon tucked safely in her arms.

"Shizune-nee-chan?"

"Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama wants you in her office now" Shizune replied quickly "I have to go and get her some sake"

They watched Shizune run off to run the errand from Tsunade.

"Ok then, we'll come with you, then we can go and get that ramen you promised" Naruto said dragging them both off.

When Naruto finally let them go they walked the rest of the way to the Hokage tower listening to list off what ramen he is going to get.

[Inside the Hokage Tower

"Right you two wait here when I go in to talk to Tsunade-sensei, then we can go and get that ramen"

"Ok then…Oh and Sakura-chan"

"What now Naruto?"

"Hurry up with Baa-chan will you so we can go and get that ramen" his reply Sakura's fist connecting to his head and Kakashi chuckling in the background at his two teammates antics. When Sakura finally calmed down, she walked up to Tsunades door and knocked.

"Enter" was heard through the thick oak door she opened it and went in.

[In Tsunades Office

'Right, Sakura-chan, I have received a scroll from Suna containing information of a poison outbreak from insect bites, their medic-nins have of course found the reason for the outbreak, but cannot find the cure to the poison. They have also asked me to send the best medic-nin in Konoha. Do you happen to know who that is?" she inquired

"Err, you Tsunade-shisou" Sakura replied already knowing the answer.

"No it's my Anbu captain B Midnight Blossom, do you know what I am talking about" she pushed further.

"Hai" the reply came reluctantly.

"I want her to go on this mission because I don't think it is just insects that are the reason for the poisoning" she said as if talking about another person incase there are people eavesdropping, since they don't want people to know that Sakura is the Midnight Blossom.

"How long will it take then?"

"However long it takes"

"When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow at sunrise"

"Ok then what will "I be doing instead" then?"

"You will be going on a mission to a small village to heal all its occupants and work there for a while, do you accept this mission?"

"Hai"

"Ok then"

"Sensei, can you not tell Naruto and Kakashi until after I leave for the mission because if I tell them before they wont let me leave alone and I won't be able to complete the mission"

"Yes I see your problem, I won't tell them until they ask then"

"Arigatou" she replied bowing then turning to leave through the door, to meet up with Naruto and Kakashi for ramen, then to pack for the mission the next morning.


End file.
